It gets worser and worser as the little girl said. She wasn’t talking about the world situation but she could have been. Despite knowing there is hope, it seems where ever you look there is upheaval, violence, bullying and brutality. The news changes not every day but every hour, however, as far as America is concerned there seems to be a kick back when it comes to the Trump/Musk administration. That might make the news a lot more palatable. The most disturbing news has been the Omagh Bomb enquiry. It’s scandalous that what happened that August day in 1998 has been paid so little attention. Listening to the men and women who were involved in the devastation of so many lives was terribly upsetting to put it mildly. It was literally shocking. There must be friends and relations of those who built and delivered that bomb who watched the coverage or read the newspaper reports and the television accounts. Don’t you just wonder if they were also shocked.
In other news it’s strange how life imitates art or vice versa. I’m reading the novel Conclave and looking forward to viewing the awards winning film and now the Pope is apparently dangerously ill, all tied up in a neat bundle. It’s always dramatic when a Pontiff passes on and a new man is elected but hopefully for Pope Francis this won’t be soon.
IN THE PICTURE
Congratulations to Belfast born Baz Irvine a highly regarded cinematographer in a world full of talented film men an women. Baz Irvine, BSC, ISC has been nominated for Silo – Episode “The Engineer” (Apple TV+) in the 39th American Society of Cinematographers Awards 25 being held tonight. This young man, who directs photography and film, began his cinema and television career with Lord Tony Puttnam learning from the best in the business. He worked on films including The Full Monty, Relativity and The War Zone, his feature films include Lives of the Saints and the hugely successful Mr. Bean’s Holiday as well as Bobby, a documentary about England footballer Bobby Moore that opened in cinemas earlier this year.
Now Baz, known as Jeremy to his proud mum Pat, awaits the prize giving ceremony tonight in the Beverly Hilton Hotel. News tomorrow. There’s another name which might have a local relevance, Sam McCurdy who worked on many notable films including Game of Thrones.
Belfast City Council picture.
I’d a lovely meal at Belfast Castle during the week with my cousins; we all ended up having the same dish for lunch, vegetable tempura, delicious. Well worth the visit, easy parking, lovely view, although the restaurant is in the cellar which is a pity, and the service is very kind and attentive.
Hey Hey Joseph
This is the last day of the wonderful production at the Grand Opera House. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat has played to full houses, always has, and I’m not surprised.
I only have to hear the first two bars and I’m right back in the Arts Theatre Belfast. It was a Wednesday in August 1978 and The Ulster Actors Company was celebrating. We’d been given the rights to Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat purely because no touring company would come to Northern Ireland during the Troubles. So interested was Tim Rice in the company that he actually travelled to Belfast to meet and greet the talented actors.
People queued up and down Botanic Avenue for tickets so much so that within a few months we staged Joseph again and thousands of men, women and a lot of children had their first taste of the Webber Rice genius. The late John Anderson was musical director, Charlie Warmington was set designer for the first show and Houston Marshall for the second, Eilish McDonnell costumes and Roy Heayberd artistic director. What a night! I had just joined the company as press officer. I sat in the auditorium with my seven year old daughter, she still remembers vividly what happened. Trevor Kelly brought the house down when, in the guise of Elvis Presley, he rocked the Pharaoh character, strutted through the auditorium draping red scarves round necks of the adoring audience., except one lady. “She didn’t look very happy so I stopped with her and lovingly adorned her with a scarf. I looked back to see her reaction and she was throwing it into the aisle!” Different story when he came to Susie, he knelt beside her and tenderly placed a scarf round her neck. That scarf is still a prized possession and her love of Trevor has never wavered!
Value Of Theatre
Wanda’s winning programme cover
Part of the production involved primary school children from around the country, each night a different choir stood on the stage singing the wonderful songs and for the second production, to mark the United Nations International Year of the Child, the company invited school children to submit ideas for the front cover of the programme. 11 year old Wanda McIlwain from Hillsborough was chosen as winner. A pupil at Princess Gardens School she was invited to the Arts Theatre to receive her prize from Trevor and, like Susie, was overwhelmed with the Joseph experience.
Wanda with Trevor Kelly
One of the choir members was Geoffrey Cherry from Lisburn. “I was only 10 and I’ve very fond memories of that summer, I made many friends, indeed we’re still in touch and when I hear the musical introduction to Pharaoh’s Story I’m right back on the stage of the Arts singing with joy. Pharaoh he was a powerful man, with the ancient world in the palm of his hand.”
Years later I had the delight of meeting Geoffrey at a Christmas show in Pond Park primary school where he became principal 30 years ago; we reminisced and he told me how much he valued his first theatrical venture and he has instilled this love of theatre into his young pupils and over the years has built confidence, self esteem and confidence not only in the class room but in musical theatre productions which delight parents and grandparents as well as staff. “Each year we produce a show involving all of our 90 P7 pupils, we hire the Island Hall theatre in Lisburn which gives the children an opportunity to experience a professional setting. I counted up that I have musically directed Joseph at least seven times!” Indeed, 31 year ago Geoffrey Cherry started Lisnagarvey Youth Society, a cross community youth theatre and many members have gone on to make a future in and around the stage.
The importance of theatre was obvious to me during the Arts matinees when children would pile into the foyer herded by their teachers, on their best behaviour not willing to talk to the likes of me, a bit scared and not over excited. Come the interval they were full of chat with each other but by the end of the show they came out bouncing. They couldn’t wait to tell me how great it was, “Joseph was sad Miss but he got happy at the end.” They probably had their first taste of freedom when, during those couple of memorable hours they were able to express themselves, they could shout out, they could clap, they were absorbed into the technicolor dream. So the old music hall song ‘Don’t put your daughter on the stage Mrs. Worthington’ doesn’t ring true as far as I’m concerned.
Welcome Home
So Joseph returned to the Belfast Grand Opera House, this time with a professional touring company, 21 venues all over the UK. Joseph surely gained a fan club as Adam Filipe sang those famous songs, whirling his amazing dreamcoat around the stage singing ‘Any Dream Will Do’. I saw the production in London’s West End when Jason Donovan played Joseph and, sitting in the second row, his exuberant singing drenched me in spittle. My claim to fame! The wonderful role of Pharaoh fell this week to Joe McElderry. It was a great night out, the singing, the dancing, the colour and the enthusiasm. But much praise must go to those behind the limelight responsible for the lighting, the band, the costumes, the design, the production in general and the director especially. You might be lucky this afternoon or this evening, worth trying for a ticket or two. One o’clock and five o’clock with limited availability, Details goh.co.uk
I used to walk two miles just to catch the steam train from Carrickfergus to Belfast in case I would be able to catch a glance of my school girl crush, Eddie Hilditch – I was 13 and he was form six. He was never in my carriage but the train was magical. This reminds me of those happy days and my thanks to artist extraordinaire Billy Austin for this painting.
You Gotta Laugh
True story – apparently! Paddy met Father O’Bryan coming through the town. Paddy was the worse for drink even though it was the middle of the day. Father O’Bryan: ‘Drunk again Paddy.’ Paddy: ‘Me too Father, but don’t worry you’ll be grand in the morning.’